Explain 50% rise in number of Sabah voters, says Bung

 

Bung Moktar Radin, chairman of Sabah BN, said the big increase would indirectly affect political parties. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: The Election Commission (EC) has been asked to explain a drastic rise in the number of registered voters in Sabah, which was 50% more than in 2018, according to Sabah Barisan Nasional chairman Bung Moktar Radin.

“Following such a high rise in the number of voters, political parties in the coming general election will be indirectly affected,” he said in a statement today.

The concerns centred on the high increase in the number of Bumiputera Muslim voters in Kadazan Dusun Murut areas, including the Penampang parliamentary constituency.

He said clarification was needed to dispel the concerns raised.

Media outlets had reported previously that voters in Sabah had increased drastically from 1,064,686 voters in 2018 to 1,638,806 voters this year.

Bung also requested that the EC consider early voting or postal voting for university students, especially those who have just registered at their respective universities to enable them to vote in the coming general election.

Their right to vote should not be dismissed, especially as young people aged 18 had become eligible to vote through automatic registration since Dec 15 last year.

“University students are also among the 18-year-old voters who are currently studying and some of them have just registered to start their sessions at all universities in the country.

“They need to be given flexibility to cast early votes or by post so that their rights as voters are not disregarded,” he said. - FMT